Races & Places with azsungoddessRunning & Racing around the country

"Disclaimer: I received a variety pack of NuGo Egg White Protein Bars to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!"

I am a snacker through and through, and occasionally eat protein bars after workouts - depending on the texture. The texture can make or break the bar, I have found. I prefer crunchy to chewy.

As soon as I got my sample pack, my son was trying to steal my bars. He promptly ate 2 blueberry and a maple pecan, and I was like “whoa, slow down! Momma still needs to try these”!!! Overall I am not a fruity flavor loving person, so this particular flavor was not my favorite, but it was my son’s favorite.

I had this one after my body pump class. Definitely chewy but a good peanut butter flavor too. This was the first flavor I tried. The texture definitely takes a little time to get used to. Chewier than some bars.

I saved the best for last. Maple pecan was a pleasant surprise, it did feel like a sweet breakfast treat, full of maple flavors. It blows my mind how they can make these breakfast flavors pop!!!

I have been following (sort of ) a keto friendly diet for the last 6 months where I’m really trying to up my protein and limit my carbs. The one bummer about these NuGo egg white protein bars is that they have a pretty high carb content, compared to the protein.

I loved, loved, loved, the NuGo dark bars and was hoping to love these equally as much. These deliver more protein, which is great, but I do prefer the flavor and texture of the regular dark chocolate bars way better. My son is a true fan of these egg white protein bars though! With school starting in just over a week (yikes), I need to stock up.

Ready to try them for yourself? Use code BIBRAVE for 15% off your online order. Trying the variety pack is a plus, so you can pick your favorite flavor before you purchase a whole box!

"Disclaimer: I received a supply of ORB Wellness Sleep Complex in exchange for an honest review through my relationship with SweatPink and FitApproach. Learn more about becoming a SweatPink Ambassador at FitApproach.com.

Sleep is such an important part of taking care of yourself. I go to bed early (in bed by 9:30) and wake up early without need for an alarm. This is my busy season at work, so my mind is going 90 miles and hour, and can be hard to turn off. I don’t typically have trouble falling asleep, my trouble is staying asleep. I will wake up and dwell on tasks I still need to complete, ugh!

Because of this, I have been taking Melatonin on and off for the last year or two. I was recently given the chance to try a new product – ORB Wellness Sleep Complex – which combines Melatonin with Vitamin B12 and essential oils like lavender.

The packaging looks like it’s taking us into the future of sleep technology. The capsules are liquid and flow kind of like a lava lamp. Cool!

Benefits:

2-in-1 delivery system to give you the best absorption of vitamins & minerals – through essential oils and beadlets

My experience:I have been taking it for a few weeks now. I take 2 capsules 30 minutes before bedtime. Even though there is less actual melatonin in here than what I was taking previously, the combination of the valerian root, and essential oils definitely feel like they have a stronger effect to get me sleeping and keep me there. The first time I took it, I did feel a little groggy from sleeping so hard, but I feel like the more I take it, the better I feel. I wake up ready to get my morning run in and tackle the day.

It was super easy to find at my local Costco. And right now they are packaging a 2 month supply for $29.99, which is a great value.

I’m so glad I was able to try this product at such a critical time in my workload. You just can’t underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep!

Learn more at orbwellness.com. It is now available at Costco locations in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado and available on Costco.com. And if you're not a Costco member, you can get them online at ORBWellness.com. Sweet dreams!

"Disclaimer: I am promoting the Missoula Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!"

WEEKEND EVENT GUIDEIt’s almost here! The Missoula Marathon is one of Missoula’s premier events, and it’s only a week away! Here’s what you need to know to make the most of your race experience:

PACKET PICKUPYou MUST pick up your race packet and chip on Saturday, July 14th at the Expo, at the Caras Park Pavilion, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. There will be NO packet pick up on race day. You may have a friend pick up your packet for you. For late arrival into Missoula, they have made arrangements for a late packet pick up at the Missoula Airport from 5:00 p.m.- 10:30 p.m.(they have thought of everything!). Please contact vo@runwildmissoula.org if you have a flight that is scheduled to arrive at the Missoula Airport after 10:30 PM.

BE IN THE KNOWGet ready – download the app!Get everything at your fingertips - download Race App. It is Missoula Marathon 2018 by MyLaps Experience. It can be found on the App Store or Google Play. It has runner tracking, course maps, weekend schedule, FAQ's and more.

Running an ultra has been in the back of my mind somewhere for a few years, but I wasn’t sure that it would ever happen. It’s never been a big priority. Then, I was listening to a podcast about an ultra and started thinking “hmmm…running a 50k the year that I turn 50, that sounds interesting”. And so it began. Then one of my running besties made the leap to 50k and made it look easy. So I searched for the right one – the right timing, the right terrain, climate, etc. and started to train.

I picked the Titletown Ultra because of it’s terrain (not technical, but still a soft trail), and the fact that 2 of my running friends had already done it and loved it, and would do it again with me. So it became a girls weekend. Renee and Jen were on my Ragnar Michigan team 2 years ago, and Rory and Renee are in BibRave with me.

I approached the training just like training for a marathon, and threw a marathon on the schedule just because I needed it – for confidence building if nothing else.

I was in town for some work events for the days leading up to the race, so I was able to start acclimating to the insane humidity. As race day approached, heat warnings were being posted. Renee and I went and picked up our packet, it was already a heat index of 108 the afternoon before. We walked the first .25 mile of the race course down to the water. At least I’d get a water view for about a minute of each lap!

I met up with Renee, Jen and Rory and we carb loaded and tried to get some sleep before rolling out at 4:15am.

We got to the race literally 10 minutes before the start (something I NEVER do), and picked up our timing chip, aka monitoring device that went on our ankle and made us look like we were being watched by the cops. In my hurry, I realized I had not grabbed my wallet – no ID, no money, yikes! Notice how clean these shoes are at the beginning.

The Titletown Ultra is a timed race – you choose either 6, 8 or 15.5 hours. You go as far as you can (or want to) in that period of time. Rory chose 6. I chose 8 and Renee and Jen chose 15.5 as they were shooting for 50 miles. Once we saw the weather forecast, we all started having doubts about reaching our goals.

The course is a looped course through the woods of the Arboretum Trail at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Each loop is 4.75 miles. To reach my 50k goal, I would have to complete 6.5 loops. There were 3 aid stations. You could set up a little campsite with drop bags, coolers, etc. and pass your supplies every loop.

The race started at 5:10am, to allow the 15.5 hour runners to finish by dark. We started off and it was already close to 80 degrees. Crowded at the start, but thinned out pretty quickly. The course is a combination of gravel, then packed dirt and woodchips, then back to gravel, and finishing with a little concrete.

My first loop was my fastest, but it honestly felt terrible. Like I was wearing a wet sweater. Most of the course is shaded in the woods and the heat was thick. Lots of ups and downs through the woods. I started having doubts about going all the way to 50k. Maybe a half marathon was enough?

The volunteers were AMAZING. I always had ICE cold water and electrolytes. They were great about knowing what you wanted even before you could communicate it. I started putting ice down my sports bra. It seemed to help. They also had washcloths that they would wet down with cold water, then hang back up with a clothespin that had your bib# on it. Every lap you’d just ask for your towel again.

As the laps ticked off, I was getting a little excited, but also a little concerned about the cutoff, now that I was taking more walking breaks. I got a little extra energy around loops 4-5, but during my 6th loop when I should be on cloud nine, as I approached the last aid station, I started wobbling a bit and felt like I was seeing spots. Then a wave of nausea came over me. I was so close. I had been drinking fluids NONSTOP but didn’t eat anything other than my 3 gatorade endurance gels. Nothing sounded good. I decided to walk, I didn’t throw up, but felt a little scared that I just might fall over on the trail. Walking was eating up my time buffer that I had. I came to the conclusion that I should just end it at 28.5 miles (6 laps) instead of trying to go out for another half lap (2.5 miles) and have to come back to the finish ( I forgot that I could get a ride on a golf cart and not have to walk back). It seemed like the right thing to do rather than to try to push it given that I was so close to the cutoff and was afraid to run again, thinking that would only make me more nauseous. I clocked in at just over 7 hrs 20 minutes. So I did leave almost 40 minutes on the table – but even my walking was more like 17-18 min miles, I just couldn’t guarantee a 50k finish by the cutoff.

So I turned in my timing chip and laid down for a little bit. Heat index was 103! My legs were covered in dirt. I took a quick Ragnar-style bath to clean up and then headed out for lunch with a friend while we waited for our last runner to finish. One of the girls who was going for 50 miles called it quits at 19 due to dehydration. The other called it quits at 28.5 miles after giving it her all. Here’s our squad at the finish:

Overall, I felt pretty fabulous that night and the next day. Way better than after a road marathon. I attribute that to the softer surface I was running on, and also that I was doing a run/walk combo. Looking back at race day now, I am disappointed that I didn’t go out for that last ½ loop. It was mainly the cutoff that kept me back, otherwise I could have just walked it all. I did not want to be a DNF. I knew that 28.5 was enough to call myself an ultramarathoner, but not reaching the 50k mark bothers me. So you know what that means…I have to do this AGAIN!

Despite the intense heat, I did enjoy my first ultra and learned a lot. It’s not as scary as I thought. I finished 14th out of 26 females in the 8 hour time category. Now I have this finishers mug to remind me of what is possible. I'm an ultramarathoner!